Updated: 2021-12-28 06:46:00 EST

Purpose

This webpage/report is intended to aggregate information from different agencies (i.e. USACE, SFWMD, FWC, USGS and NOAA) into one spot to help inform local government agencies and stakeholders on conditions within Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and Coastal southwest Florida. The data provided here should be considered preliminary and are subject to change.

USACE Data Summary

Caloosahatchee Conditions Summary: Flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary had a 7-day average of 2,037 cfs at S-79 with a 7-day average of 1,557 cfs (76%) coming from the lake at S-77. The 14-day moving average flow at S-79 is 2,000 cfs and has been in the optimal flow envelope (750 - 2100 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 33 days.

Lake Flows: In the past 7 days the total outflow from Lake Okeechobee was 29,873 AF with 21,618 AF to the Caloosahatchee through S-77, 8 AF through S-310 in Clewiston, and 7,831 AF to the EAA through S-351, S-352, and S-354. The total net inflow to the Lake was 8,017 AF (7,743 AF from Fisheating Creek, S-71, S-72, S-84s, S-65EX, and S-65EX1) with a total backflow volume of 274 AF from S310 and C10A. Water conservation areas received flows of 1,505 AF, 1,077 AF, and 6 AF at WCA1, WCA2, and WCA3, respectively. Everglades National Park received 21,316 AF.


Lake Okeechobee Level: 15.62 ft (Operational Management Band)

Lake Okeechobee Inflow: 396 cfs

Last Week: 15.74 ft

Lake Okeechobee Outflow: 1912 cfs

Weekly Rainfall Total:

WP Franklin ≥ 0.00"

Ortona ≥ 0.02"

Moore Haven ≥ 0.00"

Lake Okeechobee


Stage Elevation

Lake Okeechobee daily average stage elevation for water year 2022 (WY2022) relative to the last two water years (red line) relative to the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) .
Data are provisional and subject to change.


  • As of 12/27/2021 the mean stage elevation in Lake Okeechobee is within the Operational Low Sub- Management Band at a stage elevation of 15.63 feet (NGVD29).

Lake Okeechobee 7-day and 30-day water level recession/ascension rates during WY2022. Negative values indicate falling water levels (recession) and positive values indicate raising water level (ascension) during this 7-day period .
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Lake Okeechobee 7-day water level recession/ascension rates stop-light metric relative to the draft Snail Kite Performance Measure.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Regional Rainfall

Relative Algae Condition

Sonde monitoring locations within Lake Okeechobee conducted by SFWMD.


Daily Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin,relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl) and Turbidity within Lake Okeechobee monitored by SFWMD. Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin are plotted on log-scale. Thresholds of concern/risk identified for Chlorophyll (20 and 40 μg/L) and Phycocyanin (40 μg/L; Cotterill et al 2019 & Macário et al 2015).
Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • Cotterill et al (2019) Phycocyanin sensors as an early warning system for cyanobacteria blooms concentrations: a case study in the Rotorua lakes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 53:555–570.
  • Macário et al (2015) New insights towards the establishment of phycocyanin concentration thresholds considering species-specific variability of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Hydrobiologia 757:155–165.


Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2021-12-26 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2021-12-26 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Blue-Green Algae Sampling Results

Blue-green Algae sampling results for the last 30-days for the 10 county area (Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe). Data from FDEP Blue-green algae dashboard
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Of the 32 samples collected, cyanobacteria was dominate in 12 samples, 6 samples had toxins present ranging from 0.26 to 460 μg L⁻¹ (does not include non-detects).


Caloosahatchee River Estuary

Discharge

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last six months.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last last 30 days.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) and S-79 (to Tidal Basin) flow data along the C-43 and Caloosahatchee River. C-43 Basin Flow was calculated as the difference from S-77 and S-79.
Data are provisional and subject to change.


Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 30-day period.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • As of Dec 27, discharges conditions are within the optimum RECOVER salinity envelope.


Cumulative discharge for S-79 (to Tidal Basin) and S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) for the last three Florida Water Years (May - April). Day of water year is analogous to day of year with Day 1 = May 1st.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin & fDOM

Top: Daily dissolved organic matter (fluorescence DOM). Middle: Daily relative fluorescence Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin observed at the floating sensor bouy at S-79 monitoring by USGS. Bottom: The relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl).
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Estuary Salinity

Daily average bottom salinity data for the last 14-days from sampling locations within the tidal Caloosahatchee River Estuary relative to oyster health (Sanibel, Shell Point and Cape Coral) and tape grass (Vallisneria americana) health (Ft. Myers only) conditions.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red Tide Abundance


Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program
Data are provisional and subject to change.


Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2021-12-27 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2021-12-27 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Red Tide Forecast

Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for coastal Southwest Florida from FWC and USF link.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.

Charlotte Harbor

Discharge

USGS discharge monitoring locations for rivers and creeks entering Charlotte Harbor

Daily discharge into Charlotte Harbor from major rivers and creeks. Data source: USGS. Grey dashed lines between points indicate a potential data gap with values linearly interpolated.
Data are provisional and subject to change.

 

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